Homemade Almond Butter

It was hard to make the initial shift from peanut butter to almond butter. Peanut butter has been a part of my life since I can remember. As a little girl, my favorite commercial was for Jif when the mom drew a heart in the peanut butter sandwich. From then on, a PB&J was symbolic for a meal made with love. It is also one of the easiest, most frugal lunches to make so it is no wonder why we all grew up loving our peanut butter.

I went through a phase where I ate peanut butter from the jar with a spoon, especially when I was starving and rushed for time. My favorite cookies used to be peanut butter blossoms, the PB cookies with a Hershey kiss in the middle. Sigh. Thankfully, I have created a gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free peanut butter blossom recipe.

But I digress. I can truly empathize with the challenges involved in swapping peanut butter for almond butter. If you live in a city like I do, you are not shocked to see price tags upwards of $20 for a jar of organic almond butter. I am serious. So unless you are near a market with cheap almond butter, this fiscally responsible, simple and delicious recipe for homemade almond butter could be the right fit for you!

Homemade Almond Butter

Ingredients:

1 lb. Raw Almonds

1 tsp. Sea Salt

Kitchen Gadgets:

Large Baking Sheet

Food Processor

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.

Spread the 1 lb. of almonds out across the large baking sheet so they are not layered on top of each other.

Roast the almonds in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. You will hear them sizzling and crackling when you take them out (kind of like Rice Krispies in milk, but even louder. Snap, Crackle, Pop.)

Let the almonds cool for about 10 minutes (or until snap, crackle and pop have quieted down).

Put the almonds in your food processor and add the sea salt. The process will take some time so get ready to keep your finger on the button for 5 to 8 minutes. As you grind the almonds, the oil starts to blend to make the sticky consistency of almond butter. Keep blending until it is as grainy or creamy as you would like.

Put in an air tight glass jar or container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.